Bathing suit



P 1944- J. SOLOMON 2,358,113

BA'IHING SUIT Filed Aug. 6, 1941 IINVENTOR JACOB SOLOMON BY M W ATTORNEYS A Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICET Jacob Solomon, Jamaica, N. Y. Y

Application August 6, 1941, Serial No. 405,618

3 Claims.

This invention relates bathing suits, and more particularly to such suits designed for wear by women.

The primary object of my invention is to generally improve ladies bathing suits. A simple, one-piece suit has the disadvantage of being too revealing at the crotch. The crotch portion may be concealed by the use of a skirt, but objections have arisen because of the tendency of the skirt to turn up. Attempts have been made to employ an inner lining and an outer portion divided as is done with trousers or shorts, but this tends to look masculine rather than feminine, and is also revealing at the crotch particularly after being wet. As a further step, the trouser legs have been flared outwardly in order to produce a skirt effect, or from an opposite viewpoint, at-

tempts have been made to divide the skirt in order to prevent it from turning up. However, there is a tendency for the fabric to fall in around the body. The problem is particularly severe with bathing suits, which are wetted, and therefore cling, and which in any case cannot rely on the effect of ironing or pressing, as is'done with ordinary clothing.

Another difficulty which has arisen with divided'skirts is the tendency of the crotch piece to sag at the center, thus destroying the desired trim, airy, skirt-like effect.

Important objects of my invention are to overcome the foregoing difficulties and disadvantages.

This is done by using either and preferably both of two main features. One' is the use of a particularly stiff or rigid seam running down the front and back of the bathing suit and dividing, so as to continue down the front and back edges of each of the crotch pieces. An excellent form of seam may be called a knife-pin-tuck seam, this being made by reversely folding the two pieces of fabric to be joined, and then stitching the same by cross-stitching extending through all four thicknesses of material very close to the folded edges. appearance, and is sufficiently stifi to prevent the fabric from falling in or clinging to the body, and instead helps the skirt portion to flare out wardly from the body.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the-crotch pieces are so patterned that they rise very steeply or for a substantial distance at the front and back edges, thereby supporting the center of the crotch pieces with a suspension effect. In addition, the crotch pieces may be so patterned as to rise slightly at the center. The divided seam previously referred to Such a seam has a crisp, creased may open for some distance above the bottom of the skirt portion ofjthe garment, but without detracting from the skirt-like appearance, because the intervening fabric is exposed, and the bottom line of the skirt remains intact.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the bathing suit elements and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter are more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. The specificationis accompanied by a drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a ladies bathing suit embodying features of my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate opening of the front or back seam at the crotch;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the bathing suit;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a seam mended for use with the invention;

Fig. '7 is a transverse section through the seam;

Fig. 8 showsthe shape or pattern of the crotch p e e; f I

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a modified bathing suit embodying features of the invention; and

Fig. 10 is a schematic section taken through 30. the crotch assembly, and is located approximately at the line l 0l ll of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawing, the bathing suit there shown comprises a brasssire portion l2, a skirt portion I4, and a connecting or Waist portion l6. Shoulder straps 18 of any desiredor conventional character may be employed.

'The bathing suit is made of woven fabric.

recommay include Lastex thread. The so-called Las-' tex fabric comprises rubber, cotton and rayon. There is also a s c-called wool Lastex fabric which comprises rubber, cotton,.rayon and wool. The woven fabric may also be cotton, 1

The suit further comprises a panty lining 20 having leg openings 22. These may incorporate an elastic band for a close fit about the legs. may be made of cotton or Wool, depending on price limitations. The entire suit is preferably lined, and a similar knit lining may extend upwardly from the waist of the suit around the inside of the brassire and connecting portions l2' and I6. Elastic may be incorporated in the open edge 24 of the back of the suit in order to insure a close fitabout the wearer. v The skirt portion I4 is divided atthecenter The panty lining is preferably knit, and e to receive crotch pieces. These are preferably given the configuration shown in Fig. 8, in which the crotch piece 26 is made up of two pieces of fabric 28 and 30 secured together at 32, but this is merely for economy in material. There are two crotch pieces such as that shown in Fig. 8, one for each leg, and these are shown in Fig. 5. Referring to Fig. 8, it will be seen that the crotch piece 26 is characterized by a steep rise for a substantial distance at the forward and rear edges 34 and 36." This hasthe advantage of suspending and supporting the middle portion of the crotch piece, so that it cannot readily sag down to a position visible beneath the skirt. In the particular pattern shown in Fig. 8, there is a slight rise indicated at 38 and 40 at the center of the crotch piece, and this helps further counteract and compensate for any tendency of the crotch piece to drop at the center, Because of the substantial height of the crotch pieces at the forward and rear edges, the skirt portion l4 of the suit may separate, as is indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. It will be noted, however, that this separation does not produce a trouser effect, and instead the skirt effect is retained, because of the fabric of the crotch pieces which immediately becomes visible between the separated edges, and which fills in the space therebetween and maintains the bottom skirt line. Of course, if the crotch pieces were pulled fully open, the trouser construction would become visible, as shown in Fig. 3, but in practice, because of the flare of the skirt portion l4, there is no occasion or possibility for the sides to become fully separated as shown in Fig. 3.

As so far described, the skirt portion, instead of assuming the desired feminine, outwardly flared appearance, might tend to 'cling to the body. This is particularly true after swimming. In accordance with a further feature of my invention, the desired flaredcondition is aided and maintained by the use of relatively stiff stem seams 42 and 44 at the front and back of the garment. These stem seams extend from the waist portion downwardly, and divide into two branches at the beginning of the crotch pieces, as is indicated at 46 and 48. The relatively stiff seam construction is preferably carried down along the forward and rear edges of the crotch pieces, resulting in the construction shown in the drawing. i'i r I Thus far described, the bathing suit comprises an inner panty lining and a skirt, the skirt comprising panels making up a full bodied skirt section divided vertically along a front-to-backmedial plane of the skirt, and a crotch for the skirt bottom which crotch is arranged in said medial plane and comprises two crotch pieces, one for each skirt half portion. Each crotch piece connects the front and the back of its skirt portion. The skirt portions are stitched together at the front and at the back and to the crotch pieces by seams, each of which comprises a vertical stem seam uniting skirt portion to skirt portion, and lower branch seams each uniting a skirt portion to its crotch piece.

One preferred form of seam which has proved exceptionally suitable for the present purpose, is that indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, which seam may be referred to as a knife-pin-tuck stitch. One of the pieces of fabric 50 is reversely folded inwardly at 52, while the other piece 54 is reversely.

folded inwardly at 56, following which a line of fine stitching 58 is passed transversely through all four thicknesses of fabric .at a point very close to the folds 52 and 56. This construction not only produces a relatively stiff seam which helps keep the skirt in flared condition, but also gives the suit a crisp, pressed appearance, such as may be obtainedwith ordinary clothing, but is not obtainable with a bathing suit because of its immersion in water.

In the present case, the skirt portion 14 is made of four panels or sections of material, these being marked 50,54, 60 and B2, in Fig. 5. The panels 50 and 62 may be joined by a side seam 64 of any desired character, while the panels 54 and 60 are similarly joined by a side seam 66. These side seams may be ordinary flat seams, that is, there is no need for providing a special, stiff seam at the sides. However, at the front and back, where the fabric might otherwise tend to fall toward the body, or to cling to the same, the stiffened seams 42 and 44 help keep the fabric in desired skirt-like or flared configuration. It will be understood that a view looking as in Fig. 5 is very indefinite and changeable, because of the flexible nature of fabric.

The stiff seams serve additional functions. One is their tendency to keep the crotch portion of the skirt closed. There is a tendency for these seams to keep the skirt in the condition shown in Fig. l, or at worst, the condition shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Another useful result of these stiffened seams is in helping to keep the center portions of the crotch pieces from falling to a point where they would be visible below the skirt. It was previously explained in connection with Fig. 8, that the forward and rear edges of the crotch piece not limited to the particular type of bathing suit shown in Figs. 1 through 8 of the drawing. As an example of this, a modified bathing suit is shown in Fig. 9, in which the suit is made up of eight panels or gores, the front four of which are indicated at 10, 12, 14 and 16 in the drawing. It will be understood that there are four panels for the back of the suit. 'The special knife-pin-tuc seam 18 extends all the way from thetop of the suit to the bottom, and the same applies to the back, although the back will, of course, be cut away muchlower, as is indicated in Fig. 4. The six seams other than the forward and rear seams, may be ordinary fiat seams. The present suit has no separated brassiere portion nor waist portion, and is slenderizing in appearance because of the generally upright lines.

It will be understood that the features of the invention are applicable to various other bathing suits, such for example, as those using a separated lower portion and .brassiere portion, with some of the waist of the wearer exposed therebetween. In that case, the features of the invention will, of course, be applied to the lower or skirt portion of the garment, in much the same manner as has been described in connection with Figs. 1 and 4.

A few other details may be pointed out which are applicable to the illustrated suits and other models. The bottom edges of the skirt and the crotch pieces are preferably turned upwardly and hemmed, as indicated at 80 in Fig. 10, and the fastening of the hem may be accomplished by -means of a covering stitch, schematically indicated at 82 in Fig. 10. The crotch pieces are secured together at their upper edges, as by the use of an overlock stitch indicated at 84 in'Fig. 10. An additional line of stitching 86 may be employed, this being located somewhat below the stitching 84, and serving to further stiffen the upper edge portion of the crotch assembly against falling. It also helps discourage unnecessary separation or spreading apart of the crotch pieces.

. Other refinements and details of construction. particularly in respect to the brassiere portion and the shoulder straps of the garment, may be conventional, and require no comment.

It will be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in several preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made in the structures disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A lady's bathing suit comprising an inner panty lining and a skirt, the skirt comprising 7 panels making up a full bodied skirt and divided vertically along a front-to-back medial plane of the skirt, a crotch for the skirt bottom arranged in said medial plane and comprising two crotch pieces one for each skirt half portion, each crotch piece connecting the front and the back of its skirt portion, the said skirt portions being stitched together at the front and at the back and tothe crotch pieces by seams, each of which comprises a vertical stem seam uniting skirt portion to skirt portion and lower branch seams each uniting a skirt portion to its crotch piece.

2. A ladys bathing suit comprising an inner panty lining and a skirt, the skirt comprisin panels making up a full bodied skirt and divided vertically at the bottom along a front-to-back medial plane of the skirt, a crotch for the skirt bottom arranged in said medial plane and comprising two crotch pieces one for each skirt half portion, each crotch piece connecting the front and the back of its skirt portion, the said skirt portions being stitched at the front and at the back to the crotchpieces by branch seams, each of which cocprises a seam uniting a skirt portion to its crotch piece.

3. A lady's bathing suit according to claim 2 in which the crotch pieces are shaped to provide a substantial rise or vertical dimension at the front and back stitched edges relative to the unsupported crotchcenter, thereby preventing sagging of the center of the crotch.

JACOB SOLOMON. 

